A barcode is an optical machine-readable representation of information. Devices for identifying or extracting information from barcodes are generally referred to as barcode readers (or barcode scanners). Barcodes and barcode readers have become widely used in many different types of environments, such as hospitals, point-of-sale stations in retail stores and supermarkets, inventory and document tracking, and the like.
Barcode readers may be powered by a rechargeable battery, which is a type of electrical battery that can be charged, discharged, and recharged multiple times. Like non-rechargeable batteries, rechargeable batteries produce electrical current through an electrochemical reaction involving electrodes and an electrolyte. In a rechargeable battery, however, the electrochemical reaction is reversible. Several different combinations of electrode materials and electrolytes may be used. Some examples of rechargeable batteries on the market today include lithium ion, lithium ion polymer, nickel cadmium, nickel metal hydride, lead acid, etc.
The manufacturer of a barcode reader typically provides a holder for the reader, which is commonly referred to as a “cradle.” In addition to providing a convenient place to store the reader, the cradle may also be used to charge the reader's rechargeable battery. When the cradle is connected to an external power source (e.g., a wall outlet, a desktop personal computer (PC)) and the barcode reader is placed within the cradle, the barcode reader draws electrical current from the cradle and thereby charges the reader's rechargeable battery.
Under some circumstances, it may be desirable to frequently clean and sanitize a barcode reader. This may be true, for example, if the barcode reader is used in a setting where maintaining sanitary conditions is important, such as a hospital or other medical facility. In some situations, the barcode reader may be cleaned with certain chemicals and then placed in the charging cradle before charging contacts on the barcode reader have had a chance to dry. In other words, the charging contacts may still be wet with cleaning solution when the barcode reader is placed inside the charging cradle. The interaction between the electrical current supplied by the charging cradle and the wet charging contacts of the barcode reader may cause corrosion on the charging contacts. Benefits may be realized by systems and methods that manage the charging of a rechargeable battery within a barcode reader so as to reduce this corrosion.